1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus such as a notebook personal computer and a unit attachable to the electronic apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electronic apparatus such as a personal computer has multiple components arranged in the housing and is typically configured as follows. Among the multiple components, frequently replaced components are contained in a unit and can be replaced by changing the unit. In order to readily replace the unit, a removable lid is provided to form a part of the housing and the unit is disposed inside an opening covered by the lid. A connector is disposed at the unit whereas another connector to be mated therewith is disposed adjacent to the opening so that electric connection between the unit and a circuit disposed in the apparatus can be established when the connectors are mated with each other.
In recent years, performance of electronic apparatus represented by notebook personal computers has been increased while the size and weight of such apparatus have been reduced. Therefore, multiple components are packed in the housing of such apparatus. Under such circumstances, when the above-described structure is adopted, there arises a problem of how to readily insert and remove the unit within a small area because only a minimum area is available for the opening.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-36562 proposes such a structure that there is provided a fitting for enabling a user to release the connection between connectors by pulling the fitting.
Also, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 4-48687 proposes such a structure that a part of a flexible board in a unit is extended so that the extended part can be used as a pull.
However, in the structure proposed by Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-36562, an extra component to be used as a pull needs to be provided in a unit, making the structure complicated and increasing the cost. In addition, it is necessary to provide a larger space for such an extra component.
As for the structure proposed by Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 4-48687, an increase in the number of components can be avoided because the flexible board is an essential element in the unit. However, since multiple circuit components and wires are arranged on the flexible board, they may be damaged when a pulling force is applied to the flexible board. When it is evident that the unit is failed, damage due to such a force may not be a serious problem. However, when the unit needs to be removed for maintenance or for the purpose of fixing filed a component disposed around the unit that is not failed, applying a pulling force to the flexible board may cause another malfunction, which is not desirable.
In view of the foregoing, the present invention provides an electronic apparatus having a readily removable unit without increasing the number of components and lowering reliability.